THERE has been a quiet
revolution going on in British biking in recent years as more and more
riders turn to trail bikes, many having no intention of ever taking their
machines off-road.
It's easy to see why. Since the Japanese invaded and conquered the small
bike market in the UK, they have tended to produce ever more complex
motorcycles to display their engineering prowess. All very clever, but not
everybody wanted multiple cylinders, overhead camshafts, double disc brakes
and all the weight and bulk that came with them.

Then an alternative appeared.
Small capacity motorcycles that were true lightweights with highly-developed
versions of the simplest engines ever invented, single-cylinder two-strokes.

These bikes were a delight
to ride. No more winding countless valves up to zillions of revs to extract
a decent performance. The trail bikes had torque and with no weight to speak
of would fairly zip along from any revs. Steering, handling and suspension
developed to cope with the rigours of rough riding were better on the road
than most road bikes. We reckon that many of you aren't too bothered whether
one trail machine will climb up a sheer rock face, or another will skim
across waist-deep mud. If you are looking for a bike to commute to work on
or to pop wheelies with in the high street on Saturday mornings, you want to
know how it goes on the road,speed, acceleration, braking, fuel consumption.

Hell, what you need is a full
track performance analysis such as you'll find on page 54. So much for you
lot. What we needed after months of being cooped up in the office, after
countless hours of enforced beer drinking and similar hardships that are all
part of a journalist's lot, was a couple of days let loose with snorty trail
irons and lotsa wide open spaces.
Salisbury Plain has much to commend it. Firstly, it's only a few miles away
from Poole, so we don't have to spend a day getting there and secondly, it's
about 30 miles wide and 25 miles deep and is crisscrossed by tracks, RUPPs
and other vehicular rights of way. There are few roads and fewer villages
and people.

With all this in mind, Neil,
Merril and Bob set off to try a Kawasaki KE175D2, Yamaha DT175MX'80, Suzuki
TS250ER and a Benelli 125 Enduro. Due to an industrial dispute, the fourth
rider who was also our photographer, couldn't come along. This meant we had
to leave one bike behind each day.

Benelli 125 Enduro

Benelli's 125 Enduro looks so
odd after the stereotyped Japanese trail bikes, you can't help feeling that
it must be terribly good at something in particular.

The feeling is enhanced by a
variety of purposeful-looking bits. Like a box-section swinging arm and
knobbly tyres. Or trials-style gearlever and rear brake lever, too far away
from the footrests to be used without lifting your feet off the pegs. These
are the folding type, albeit not spring-loaded and there aren't any pillion
pegs — no waiting brackets, even, which explained the number-plate ovals on
the side panels.

There are precious few trick
bits, but the control cables have built-in oilers as well as rubber shrouds
to keep muck out of the knurled, lever-mounted adjusters. And Benelli
definitely score bonus points for having rear spring pre-load settings that
can be altered by hand.

It's called an Enduro so you're prepared to put up with a few of the
on-the-road hassles that are bound to come from a refusal to compromise
off-road ability. Things like having a tiny speedo that gets inaccurate at
speed, is obscured by cables from 20 mph, and contains no trip meter.

There's no rev counter either,
but I doubt whether any of the bikes in this test need one.

The Benelli is the only bike here to run on mix-in-the-tank petroil, which
is messy and a nuisance, especially as there's nowhere to store an oil
bottle (or the handbook). But then, all competition bikes run on petroil,
don't they?

There's no off-road
justification, however, for having such a long reach to the front brake
lever that even an ape would need two grabs to work up any leverage. The
Benelli turned out to have the least effective brakes of the group, but not
much worse than the Yamaha.

Then there are a few things that
start nagging doubts growing. Things you haven't seen since you rode your
last Bantam. The tin, stamped-out switch blocks could he straight from any
British bike of yesteryear, except that British bikes used to have
dipswitches. If the Benelli's got one, it's well hidden among all the other
unlabelled knobs.

There's an MZ-type push-in
ignition key that doubles as a light switch. This would be a harmless
eccentricity if only it would stay in. After a while, any rider
instinctively reaches forward to poke the key back down when the engine cuts
out.

Despite having its kickstart on
the lefthand side, the Benelli started reliably. Just as well, really,
because the engine cutout switch is an on/off type that isn't labelled
on/off. If the engine was hard to start, you could be kicking for hours,
never knowing whether or not the ignition was switched off.

It goes without saying that the
gearchange is on the right and that the lever moves up to change down. Try
not to get confused if you stall in a bog, because you have to find neutral
(without an indicator light) before you can restart the engine. Time-warp
transmission continues with a chain that only Raleigh would use today,
although it never gave any trouble or needed adjustment during the test.

Unmoving experience
Looking at the MIRA figures leads you to expect a 125 that's quick, nearly
as quick as the DT 175. But somehow, riding around on the road is an
unmoving experience. The performance is there all right but it has to be
wrung out of each gear before jerking into the next one. Most of the time
it's easier to sit back and relax in the image of one who's hot stuff over
mud and rocks.

This way you'll save money too,
because the Benelli has a vicious thirst for a 125. (As with all the bikes
in this test, expect more in normal road use than the 46mpg quoted. This
reflects much low-gear screaming through the countryside.)

Ring-ding performance testing revealed one of the Benelli's lesser design
features. Merril felt a bit insecure while screaming through the timing
lights on the best-oneway prone run of 65mph. A quick glance round after the
run showed the swinging-arm bolt to be missing its nut, with the bolt not
far behind. And that's all the swinging-arm bearing is a nut and bolt.

A few more shortcomings showed
up when we headed for the hills. It didn't take too many ruts and rocks to
shake off the sidestand spring. Once again, Merril was the lucky rider when
one of us spotted the stand dangling, just waiting to dig in on the next
left-hander. An aerolastic replaced the missing spring for the rest of the
test.

Next problem was that we didn't
dare tackle any logs or large rocks on the Benelli.

It has good Ground Clearance, a
reasonable sump protector, footrests and controls well out of the way, but
the exhaust system dangles several inches below everything else! This piece
of design defies belief, even though the Benelli isn't unique in protecting
its bash plate with an exhaust pipe. Remember the NVT Rambler?

Mud was kept down well at the
back, but the 125 Enduro disgraced itself by obscuring its own headlamp and
filling in the cooling fins with mud. There isn't enough front mudguard. But
the run was finally over when Merril (again?!) found herself with a ripped
tube in the rear tyre. It has to be said that the Kawasaki doesn't have a
security bolt either, but it didn't disembowel itself.

Even when deflated to 15psi, the Benelli's knobbly merely performed as well
as the trail tyres of the other bikes. Riding on wet tarmac demanded an
extra helping of caution, obviously, but a little low-speed squirming was
the only noticeable quirk in the dry.

Off-road, the Benelli never
quite felt right. In practice, wheelies aren't available unless you slip the
clutch to get the revs up. As the figures show, the bike isn't short of
power at the top end and even mid-range pull is better than the twice-as-big
Suzuki. But, despite gearing at least as low as any of the others, there's
nothing down low.

No suspension travel figures are
available from Benelli, but it's obvious that there's less movement
available on the 125 Enduro than we've come to expect from trail bikes.
Initial spring take up is stiff and lightly damped so, although the bike can
get through most trail hazards, the rider has to put up with a lot of
pitching and bouncing.
Short-travel suspension, low gearing, foot controls well out of the way...
mmm. Must be set up for trials riding. while standing on the pegs — bum up,
head over the front axle. Standing up causes your left leg to push the
kickstart on to its ratchet, but once that noise has been silenced, it's a
comfortable position and accurate steering is possible at a snail's pace.
You have to develop the technique of slipping the clutch with two fingers
while holding the bars with the other two for low-speed control, but that's
not so hard.

For a while, I thought I'd found
the Benelli's true purpose, so I proceeded to ride around slowly in figures
of eight, circumnavigating trees with an impressive amount of body lean. But
the illusion was short-lived, because the Benelli couldn't do anything that
couldn't be done on the others with much less fuss.

Summary

I've never done an enduro, but I
wouldn't fancy my chances on the Benelli. True, trickleability wouldn't be
needed all that often, but I don't think the suspension could smooth out
many bumps at speed. After the first stepped rock or tree trunk, you'd be
running without an exhaust system.
Trials riding would have to be just for fun. Any competition would be lost
as soon as you let the revs drop in a tricky bit.

There's no doubt that the
Benelli 125 Enduro would see you through any trail ride. You'll put a bit
more effort in than other people, that's all.
As a road bike the Benelli falls down on specification. With a flywheel
magneto of only 28W output supplying a 25W headlamp, 10W indicator lamps,
and a 5/18W tail/stop lamp, it's not surprising that the navigating glow
varies with engine speed. The controls and switches do not fall easily to
hand. Many of the doodads we've come to expect didn't fall to hand at all.

At £568 including VAT, UK importers TKM are pleased to be able to undercut
the Japanese 125cc trail bikes. But even before the discount dealers move
in, the difference isn't great; £77 cheaper than Suzuki's TS125ER and only
£22 cheaper than the Yamaha DT125MX.

Buying yesterday's technology at today's price doesn't make a lot of sense.
You've got to want very much to be different.

Neil Millen

Suzuki TS250ER

AVERAGE is a dirty word in
today's motorcycle market, where the race for higher technology gets dizzier
with every new model. Yet Suzuki have scored an all-time average record in
our Star Ratings for the TS250ER.

The old TS250C was a bit of a
throwback to the early Japanese trail bikes, but the ER promised to change
all that, even though it uses a modified form of the old engine. An all-new
frame hung with all the latest artificial aids to good handling and dressed
up in the latest moto-cross fashion looks impressive, so what went wrong?

Some of the nicest things about
the way the Suzuki feels are due to its dimensions. The side panels and seat
combine in a fat, smooth curve that is easy to grip with your legs for long
periods while standing on the pegs for off-road control. The frame had none
of the Ground Clearance problems we found with the TS100ER, despite a seat
height that most people can cope with.

Now so average

Leading axle forks are now so
average that they're becoming commonplace on street bikes. The same goes for
box-section swinging arms, even though Suzuki have painted theirs
silver-grey to make sure you notice it.

Having said all that, the suspension did its job well by giving a
comfortable ride on any surface. Combined with good positioning of the bars,
seat and footrests, it had a big, easygoing feel reminiscent of Honda's
XL250S. The only times the Suzuki let itself down were when accelerating
hard across ruts — the rear wheel had a tendency to hop, although this
didn't upset the steering.

Hopping under braking was virtually eliminated by the fully-floating rear
unit. Stopping on the trail is often an untidy process with bursts of locked
rear wheel, but not with the Suzuki. At MIRA it was easy to hold the rear
wheel on the verge; of locking for maximum effect. The braking figures for
the Suzuki compare well with the best stopper in this test, the Kawasaki,
but aren't as good as the results we got with the XL250S we tested last
February.

Living with a bike is often more
demanding than borrowing it for a few and we noticed a couple of features on
the TS that could become endearing on one of our Marathon Tests. It is
arguable that every bike should have fork gaiters to keep grit out of the
oil seals, but surely this is essential for an off-road bike. Manufacturers
reckon that naked forks look better, but I don't think the rubber wraps
spoil the Suzi or the Yam in this test.

Keeping muck off the rider is
also important on a trail bike. The Kawasaki's
wrap-around guard is a good attempt, but the Suzuki's wide, hanging flap is
particularly effective.

If things go wrong and the tyre sealant doesn't work (it never works for
me), it's nice to know that the rear wheel comes out without disturbing the
chain or its adjustment. QD wheels are becoming a fading memory, so you'd
think Suzuki would be proud of theirs, but the near-useless multilingual
handbook keeps it a secret. Puncture repairs must be considered too advanced
for the home mechanic. You'll have to leave the book at home anyway, because
it's too big to fit in anywhere on the bike.

After riding the two 175s on our
trail outing, the Suzuki felt gutless. Low down poke was nowhere to be
found. This was especially noticeable if an unexpected handful was needed to
keep the front wheel light over a pothole or ruts at an awkward angle.
Neither was it so easy to trickle around on a near-closed throttle despite
similar gearing to the smaller bikes.

Mid-range power is quite good,
but it comes in viciously at4000rpm. On a loose or otherwise slippery
surface, this can turn the bike sideways if you're not ready for it. Once I
became accustomed to the bike, tame green laning became exhilarating
opposite-lock fun by whacking the throttle open at 4000, but don't tell the
Rambler's Association I said so.

This feeling of mid-range pull
is subjective, however, because our flexibility figures show the Suzuki to
be much less responsive than the 175s. Hauling its extra weight forward on
grippy tarmac isn't as easy as spinning the rear wheel on a loose surface.

As the engine speed approaches
the 7000rpm red line, the power dies away again. Not so important on the
trail, perhaps, but this lack of top-end oomph prevents the bike from
feeling quick on the road.

Again, the MIRA figures tell the whole story. Despite the extra ccs the
Suzuki was only 0.28secs quicker than the Kawasaki up the standing quarter
mile. There wasn't much difference in top speed, either, and both 175s were
faster when carrying a passenger. Even Honda's four-stroke 250, the XLS, can
equal the Suzuki's track record.

Inevitably, the Suzuki's bigger
engine used at least as much fuel as the 175s — less than the Yamaha but
more than the Kawasaki, and more than the four-stroke Honda 250. The only
bright spot here is that the smaller two-strokes buzzed their way through a
lot more oil.
Gears were always there when they were wanted, with or without a clutch that
was light enough to operate with two fingers when the engine needed a little
low-speed help. Despite the mud, water and standing starts, the chain only
needed adjusting once, by a small amount.

Headlamps that illuminate the
road in t dark seem to be surplus to requirements i trail bikes and the
Suzuki's 25/25W, 6V unit is no exception.

Instead of wasting time trying to poke life back into points you can start
walking home before it gets dark if the electronic ignition packs up miles
from nowhere. The winkers, two standard mirrors, and everything else
for that matter, survived being stuffed intp the ground every so often.
Apart from the blue stripes on the side panels which rubbed off on our legs,
the detail finish and fittings on the Suzuki were good. You get a rev
counter to look at when you're bored and a spot-on accurate speedo. Below
these are the usual warning lights. Mileometer and trip meter are in the
speedo, but zeroing the trip meter is a one-mile-at-a-time chore. Why do
manufacturers assume that trail riders want to stand around twiddling knobs?

The switchgear is standard, the
seat is lockable and has a built-in helmet lock, and the usual tools sit in
a tray instead of being stuffed up a not-quite-big-enough tube for
passers-by to pinch them from. The engine oil filler is also under the seat,
where it's easy to pour into and a low oil level shows up in the sight glass
in the left-hand side panel. There is a steering lock on the bottom fork
yoke and the ignition key fits all three locks.

Summary

So why should you buy one? A
good question that, and not an easy one to answer. I enjoyed riding the
TS250ER and I wouldn't have noticed its lack of useable power so much if we
hadn't had the Yamaha and Kawasaki around for direct comparison. I liked the
way the heavier bike rode the bumps with less pitching and a softer engine
can make things smoother on the rough when you can't always exercise as much
control over your right wrist as you'd like to.

For tarmac riding, the Suzuki has more of a big-bike feel in comers and the
seat is much more generous if you want to survive a long run. There isn't
much room for two people on the smaller trail bikes.

But ultimately the 175s make more sense, for serious off-road work at least.
When you have to resort to dragging yourself and your bike out of a mess
there's no substitute for low weight and the lightest bike is also going to
be the least tiring at the end of a long day, assuming roughly equal engine
and frame performance.

Neil Millen

Kawasaki KE175

WITH 'electro-fusion' bore, box
section swinging arm, CDI ignition and a broad power band exhaust system,
the latest Kawasaki 175 trail iron promised to be an interesting ride,
especially off road. Even so, we were surprised and delighted by the
KE175D2's nimble nature on a wide variety of sticky going and were equally
impressed with its tarmac performance.

At MIRA we found the Kawasaki
was faster, quicker and more flexible than the Yamaha DT175MX'80, its
nearest competitor. As most trail bikes spend 90 percent of their lives on
the road, and many never see a trail at all, this track advantage puts the
Kawasaki clearly in the lead. But all trail bikes are a compromise between
off-road ability and on-road suitability, so from past experience we guessed
the Yamaha was saving all its glory for the trails, where it would outshine
the KE.

Yet the Kawasaki was not to be
outdone on the rough by any of the other three puddle-jumpers we took along
on our exploration of the forgotten byways of Salisbury Plain.
Rigorous ordeal

The test started with the neat
blue moto-cross styled D2 being pounded over 170 miles to MIRA from our
Poole office, followed by a hard thrashing up and down the timing straight
and then another blast back to Poole. The Kawasaki not only survived but
passed this rigorous ordeal with flying colours.
With a top speed around 70mph (72 prone, 67
upright) the KE buzzed along the roads without running short of breath. The
broad spread of power (equalled only by the Suzuki 250) meant that the reed
valve motor would pull well out of roundabouts and when overtaking, without
the usual flurry of activity in the gear/clutch/throttle departments. The
five ratios were well-spaced to make full use of the wide power band which
stretched across 55mph in top against the Yamaha's 46mph.

This flexibility was clearly
demonstrated at the track. Whilst the time taken to accelerate in top gear
from 30-50mph was only half a second quicker than the Yamaha, the Kawasaki
jumped from 40-60mph in 8.67 seconds compared to the DT's sluggardly 11.02
seconds. On the road this meant the Yamaha rider would need to go down one,
or even two of its six cogs to overtake, while the Kawasaki rider just
opened up in top (fifth) and zipped past with ease.

According to Kawasaki, the KE's
engine power output has been substantially modified to produce this broader
spread of power. Reed valve induction and a new exhaust system have helped
peak power to be achieved lOOOrpm lower, and peak torque, up from 1.7kg.m.
to 1.9kg.m. now occurs at 5500rpm instead of 7000rpm with the earlier KE.
Not only did the KE accelerate quicker (1/3 second better than the DT over a
1/4 mile) it stopped quicker too,

The Kawasaki's brakes were just
under 10 percent better one up and over 20 percent better two up.

Perhaps the most surprising feature of the Kawasaki's peppy 16bhp motor was
its fuel efficiency. At MIRA we measured the fuel consumption of all the
trailsters with our Petrometa and the KE proved the least thirsty of the
lot. At a steady 60mph it clocked 63mpg against the 53mpg of the Suzuki
TS250ER and Benelli 125 and the lowly 40mpg of the Yamaha.

Only blemish on the Kawasaki's
faultless performance and efficiency record was a 130 miles-per-pint oil
consumption, but even this may have been partly caused by the KE's engine
failure, which developed following a drowning on the first day's trail ride.

Merril 'Boobytrap' Boulton decided to give Neil a good soaking when the
effects of his lunchtime o'booze session became unbearable.

This involved Merril and KE
taking a lusty plunge into the stream Neil was busily filling, but the water
was deeper than it appeared. As merril and the Kawasaki disappeared below
the surface, all that could be heard was Merril'S" hysterical giggling and
the bike's spluttering exhaust. The CDI electrics were so well insulated
that the engine continued to run until it filled with water via the air
intake under the seat and even then one of the winkers could be seen
stubbornly flashing two feet under water.

After draining the motor, carburettor and airbox, we were amazed when the
Kawasaki fired up and ran perfectly after two prods on the kickstarter. The
bike ran happily for the rest of the day's trail riding and only revealed
its true disgust at being used as a submarine on a long, fast road bash to
the next set of trails the following day.

Clouds of smoke

After about fifteen miles, the
motor started faltering and pouring out clouds of dense white smoke. The oil
injection system was functioning correctly, so we deduced that the smoke was
the result of oil being sucked into the crankcase from the gearbox via a
strained gasket.

The plucky little stroker still
managed to limp back to base, even if it did blot out a sizeable portion of
Wiltshire en route. Before the Kawasaki threw in the towel however, we had
had plenty of time to assess its off-road capabilities on gravel, deep sand,
mud, ruts, and a scrambles course, not to mention streambeds.

The engine flexibility which
made the bike so pleasant to ride on the road, gave endearing qualities on
the rough stuff. Up on the pegs and manoeuvring round obstacles was a doddle
with bottom gear pulling from 3.6mph, over one mph slower than the DT
managed. An early problem with stiff steering was overcome when we
readjusted a tight steering head bearing. light front wheel to a vertical
wheelie, depending on the riders' weight distribution and was controllable
enough for even us ham-fisted journos to avoid rolling up the number plate.
The KE would also aviate the front wheel in second and third gears with a
pull on the bars, useful when potholes appeared underneath the front wheel.

It was almost impossible to be
caught in the wrong gear and third and fourth were suitable for smoother
lanes, although it was fun to drop one gear and step the back wheel out
under power for bends.

Gearchanging was light and easy thanks to the gear shift drum being mounted
on ball bearings in this latest KE. Even clutchless changes, when a finger
daren't be spared from gripping the bar to operate the equally light clutch,
were smooth, but there were some false neutrals, particularly between third
and fourth which were annoying.

Good damping
The leading axle front forks and laid-down rear shocks with 8in. and 5V2in.
of movement respectively, provided good damping and springing at both ends.
Even the worst surfaces tackled at speed did not manage to confuse the
suspension into throwing the bike off line or into letting the shocks get
through to the rider. As we have frequently noticed with trail bikes, the
suspension gave better ride and handling on the road than many roadsters.
Suspension for road-only machines can be designed to operate under much more
limited conditions, so it suggests there is a lot of road suspension
development work going undone.

Tyres were a good compromise,
being progressive when cornering on the road, and reasonably grippy in most
off-road conditions too.

Box section swinging arms seem to be all the rage this year, and Kawasaki
have even painted their's silver in contrast to the black
frame to make sure you notice it. As well as aiding torsional stiffness,
this feature matches well the overall moto-cross styling of the D2. Other MX
styled features have varying degrees of merit. The high-level exhaust system
is tucked well clear of the rider, allows good access to maintenance areas
and is difficult to dent, even in a fall.

Lightweight conical hubs and
alloy rims reduce unsprung weight, but there are no security bolts to
prevent tyre creep and rip-out punctures when running low tyre pressures for
extra grip in the mud.
High impact resistant plastic is employed for mudguards and engine covers,
giving a useful weight saving. But the front guard is too short at its rear
to prevent mud clogging the motor when the going gets sticky. Also, there is
nowhere to store the handbook.

Summary

The sleek tank and seat design
looks good, but there is no comfortable knee-gripping point when up on the
footrests, so difficult sections soon get tiring. The tank's slim looks
belie its 2.1 gallon capacity which gives around 120 mile range. The
Yamaha's 1.5 gallon tank, by comparison, returned only 60 miles per refill,
but this would be stretched to 80 miles plus by a road-only user.

Despite the KEs many weight
saving wonders, the DT slips in just 71bs. below it dry. We weren't very
impressed with the trip meter, which required its digits to be cancelled one
at a time by laborious twiddling and none of us were sorry when the knob got
fed up and dropped off.
The standard of switchgear and electrics was high and the 35/35 watt
headlamp was adequate for night use. The toolkit supplied was the bare
minimum, but average for trail bikes. Overall standard of finish was good.

Perhaps one of the most
significant advances made with the latest KE175, in terms of sales at least,
is a price reduction of £20 to £669 retail. In value-for-money terms it's a
giveaway.

Bob Goddard.

Yamaha DT 175

YAMAHA'S DT range of trail
machines has earned quite a reputation in recent years for highly efficient
off-road performance, combined with excellent tarmac characteristics. And
the DT 175 has established itself as the firm favourite with thousands of
bikers in Britain.

Both Geoff and Merril considered it THE number one trail machine and in
1979, the DT175MX was Yamaha's top selling motorcycle, bar none.

Although it is hard to improve
upon the best, Yamaha made a number of modifications to produce their
DT175MX'80 model, which we assessed on the road, at MIRA and over Salisbury
Plain. Firstly, the monoshock rear swinging arm is constructed of square
section tubing for mainly cosmetic reasons, but might even improve its
strength too. A larger air filter box and different carburettor internals
give smoother running and crisper acceleration. Somewhere along the line,
the MX'80 has gained an extra 1.3bhp at the same 7000rpm and torque is up
from 1.64kg. m. to 1.7kg. m. at 6000rpm.

A new Autolube cable has been
fitted to all the '80 DT singles which removes the need to ever reset the
oil pump. A ratchet and pulley wheel, combined with a junction box, does all
the adjusting for you automatically.

Fresh colour scheme
The only other changes are a new chain guard and fresh colour scheme and
graphics.
Clearly none of these changes can be considered a retrograde step, but Geoff
and Merril no longer consider the DT175 to be top dog. What has happened is
the competition has caught up and overtaken Yamaha's top seller.

Geoff rode the DT up to MIRA, a
journey including every road type in its 170 miles. While Geoff is prepared
to admit that his economy-sized posterior takes some accommodating on small
bike seats, he found the DT's uncomfortable after 40 miles and by the time
he got to our hotel near MIRA, needed several pints before he could talk
about anything else. Others agreed the seat was harder on bums than the
other three trailsters and there was barely room for a pillion passenger.

On the trails, the tyres were
excellent. The DT flew up a stepped hill covered in loose sand without
wheelspin, while the KE ran out of grip and dumped Merril half way up. Bob
decided it was time to show Merril that skill and technique were the only
things preventing her from getting to the top and proceeded to charge the
hill on the KE as he had with the DT. Much to Merril's delight, he landed in
a heap only a couple of feet from where her excursion had ended. A second
attempt failed even earlier and proved conclusively (so Bob said) that the
DT's tyres were infinitely better than the KE's in deep loose sand.

They were also very efficient at
dealing with mud, allowing the bike to climb out of a stream up a wet muddy
bank without wheelspin where all the other bikes had to be legged up. The
tyres' efficiency could be further enhanced by safely lowering tyre
pressures thanks to security bolts fitted to both front and rear steel rims.

Traction at the rear was
undoubtedly aided by the De Carbon monoshock rear suspension, which gave 5.7
inches of well-damped rear wheel movement. The effect was deceptive. The
rear felt soggy but never bottomed, absorbed all bumps and coped with
everything from fast deep ripples to hefty jump landings without getting
upset. The nitrogen-filled suspension unit had five pre-load settings.
Gasping and wheezing

The front forks were also softly sprung and damped, closer to trials
suspension than moto-cross, but didn't bottom on the downhill steps of the
scrambles course. They were fitted with gaiters which could be heard gasping
and wheezing like a bronchial octogenarian. Any manufacturer who produces a
trail bike without fork gaiters plans to sell a lot of spare fork
stanchions, bushes and oil seals, so Yamaha should be congratulated for
their honest practice.

The steering which felt so light
and sensitive on the road paid off on the rough, where wheelies came easily
and slow speed manoeuvrability was excellent. Steering through the deep
water of a river bed was simplicity itself at less than walking pace and the
engine kept chugging away at low revs despite being part submerged in cold
water. The turning circle was noticeably smaller than the Suzuki 250.

The brakes took a good deal of
drying out after the stream riding and squeaked their protest thereafter,
hut the single-leading-shoe drum stoppers were not very impressive before we
went trailing.

At MIRA they gave the worst solo stopping distance at 182 feet from
80mph,
and were hopelessly inadequate with a passenger, taking 232 feet to stop at
the same speed.
If the brakes did not encourage two-up riding, the fuel consumption did not
suit long distance touring either. Geoff had to stop three times for petrol
on his epic bum-busting burn-up to MIRA with only 77 miles before reserve.
Our Petrometa tests showed why:

At a steady 60mph the Yam burned
a gallon for every 40 miles, compared to 53 for the Benelli and Suzuki and
63 miles for the miserly Kawasaki. The overall 38mpg figure is low because
most of the miles involved were on the trail, but even so an owner should
expect no more than 45mpg with normal road use. Oil consumption was also
heavy at 170mpp. What was the DT doing with all this juice and lube?

Although the Kawasaki beat the
Yamaha in the flexibility stakes, the 250cc Suzuki flunked the top gear
acceleration tests taking 13 seconds from 30-40mph and 12.8 seconds from
40-60mph. The Yamaha spent 8.96 seconds and 11.02 seconds respectively,
while the Benelli took 9.65 seconds and 11.08 seconds, not so far behind the
DT on the higher speed test, where the 125's peaky engine began to show
through.

The Yamaha's six speed gearbox
gave slick and smooth changes, both with and without the use of the wet
multiplate clutch. The lever was well placed to operate with the toe of your
riding boot while standing on the pegs over nadgery stuff — very handy. The
'dog's leg' clutch lever was light, as were all the handlebar controls and
the switchgear was up to Yamaha's usual high standard.

The electrics were fed by a
6-volt, 4-amp-
hour battery, kept topped up with power from a flywheel magneto which also
housed the capacitor discharge ignition. Earlier MX's had a 6-amp-hour
battery. A 35/35 watt headlamp provided good illumination for night riding
on country lanes up to 60mph and the big, bright 5/21 watt tail/brake lamp
was a good safety feature.

The clearly calibrated speedo
and rev counter were illuminated by a soft, green glow which prevented
glare. Bright 17 watt indicators winked at night without the headlamp
dimming in sympathy.

The Yamaha looked smart and purposeful in its latest colour scheme, but the
styling was somewhat conservative and it was not so eye-catching as the
Kawasaki or bright yellow Suzuki. Overall standard of finish was high.

Summary

Despite being overshadowed by
the completely new KE175D2, especially on engine performance, the DT175MX
'80 still excels on suspension thanks mainly to the 'Monocross' cantilever
system at the rear. The Yamaha's tyres are much better off road than the
Kawasaki's, although they feel a little less stable on the road. All in all
it is still a good buy at £650 inc. VAT.

Bob God

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